A number of personal care products, which are solid at room temperature, are packaged in tubular containers constructed to expose a small amount of the product at the open upper end of the container. Typically, these containers have a cap over the open end to enclose the product when it is stored or not in use. Products of this type typically are lipstick, stick deodorant, eye color, facial blushes and the like. Most products of the type mentioned above, while they are solid at room temperature, are soft and of a wax-like consistency.
Crystal rock deodorant is gaining increasing consumer acceptance due to its long life. Contrary to the products listed above, this crystal rock is made from natural mineral salts and does not contain any moisture and therefore must be wetted with water prior to its use. To use these crystal deodorants, the user wets the top end of the crystal. When wet, the top end of the crystal serves as an applicator for the mineral salts of the crystal. The crystal is then rubbed over the area of the body to which the deodorant is to be applied. After use, the crystal is retracted into the container and allowed to dry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,126 describes a solid rock-like crystal deodorant push-up dispenser. The push-up dispensers of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,126 require the user to push down on the top of the crystal deodorant in order retract the deodorant back into the container. This is disadvantageous because the deodorant is typically wet after use and the user will get the deodorant on his or her hands when pushing down on the top of the deodorant. Another disadvantage of this push-up package is that unless the user maintains pressure to the bottom of the crystal deodorant with his or her finger while applying the deodorant, the deodorant will retract back down into the package during application to the user's body. This makes application of the deodorant a cumbersome and difficult procedure.